The Goa government-owned sugar factory has told the State Pollution Control Board that it runs short of finances to install online air ambient quality monitoring system which is mandatory as per the guidelines of the board.

Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd, a state government venture, in its reply to the show-cause notice by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), has said it will be able to install air ambient quality monitoring system only after getting financial help from the state government.

The factory was among 16 units, including Vijay Mallya's United Breweries, MRF, Syngenta, Merk and others which were issued show-cause notices by GSPCB for not installing the system. The board had threatened to withdraw their consent under Air and Water Pollution (Control) Act.

Sanjivani's Managing Director Prakash Jambhle, in a written reply to the GSPCB, said "installation of online monitoring system of emission, effluent and ambient air will require huge financial investment".

"As the factory is running in losses for last many years, only after obtaining financial help from the Goa government factory will be able to install the above system," he added.

The factory was started in 1973 to help the sugarcane farmers in rural Goa.

Jambhle said 50,000 metric tonnes of sugarcane per crushing season has been crushed by the factory.